


Our Crooked Anchors

by Lokei



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: Gen, Honor, Literary Allusions, M/M, Prison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-05
Updated: 2007-01-05
Packaged: 2017-10-22 15:18:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/239463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokei/pseuds/Lokei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bless Horatio and his classical allusions. The title and quote come from Book III of the Aeneid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Crooked Anchors

Hornblower was grateful for the cannon.

The noise was good cover for the fact that he wasn’t able to trust his voice enough to speak, and the force of the concussions upon the air enough to explain the water in his eyes.That these men—his men—who had every right to remain aboard the _Indefatigable_ —and that this man—this one man—who had had enough of captivity to last a lifetime—they all had chosen to be bound by the word he had given for them, to protect his honor—it was more than he should have asked, and far more than he had expected.

And yet, his confirmed commission was burning a hole in his jacket pocket, the dispatches were safe, and Pellew approved of him.Yes, he was going back to prison—but he did not intend to stay there.Another opportunity would arise, or he would make one.Either way, he was not going to sit on his hands for long.There were things Yet To Be Done, and Horatio intended he and Archie would be there to do them.This was Carthage—just a stop on the way to Rome.

“Looks like they’re waitin’ for us, sir,” Matthews broke into Hornblower’s reverie.

“Landed again,” Styles grumbled in his accustomed counterpoint.

Horatio examined the men in the boat—most were subdued, but none actively sullen.Archie’s lips were thinned almost to disappearing, but he seemed steady enough.Horatio had a strong desire to see him smile—after planning their eventual re-escape, that would be his first priority.A stray smile passed over his own countenance as he reflected that a man who had effected five escapes already would probably find much to smile over in Hornblower’s earnest escape plans.Horatio hoped Archie knewhow much the new lieutenant was depending on his old friend.

The borrowed Spanish boat glided easily to the waiting slip, where the Don stood with a smirk on his face which seemed both impressed and amused.The returning rescued Spaniards made a noisy background as the British officers stepped silently to the shore.The Don addressed them in heavily accented English.

“I see at least one Englishman’s honor is as straight as his carriage, Senor Hornblower.Senor Kennedy.”

Perhaps the remains of his private classical allusions lingered more strongly than Horatio realized—perhaps it was his wish to see his friend smile, or perhaps it was merely the sun to blame for Horatio’s seeming non sequitur in response to the barbed compliment.

“Our crooked anchors from the prow we cast,” he muttered quietly and Archie glanced at him in surprise.

The Don, being well-mannered enough to ignore the oddities of Englishmen, simply assured Hornblower that his conditions of parole would continue as before, and directed the soldiers nearby to escort the officers and their seamen to the appropriate quarters.

The lock clanked home behind the two of them and they shared a rueful smile.“Almost feels like home,” Kennedy quipped, and Horatio huffed in dry amusement.

After a few moments, Kennedy sat gingerly on the bunk, and with grave deliberation, Hornblower sat beside him.

“I did not know you could quote Vergil with such facility, Horatio.”Archie cocked his head slightly to one side in his signature lopsided Kennedy smirk.“You always claim to be such a poor scholar.”

Horatio’s lips twitched.“There is a great deal you do not know about me, Archie.”He put his hand gently over his friend’s where it was splayed between them on the cot, letting his fingers fall naturally between Archie’s to the rough blanket below.

“But I daresay you now have plenty of time to find out.”


End file.
